Napkin dispenser

ABSTRACT

An improved napkin device is set forth. The device includes 
     a front face adapted for opening to load napkins therein. A first downwardly angled steel rod is fixed to a first side face, and a second downwardly angled steel rod is fixed to a second side face. Each of the steel rods has a substantially circular cross section. A plate adapted to slide along the first and second steel rods until it reaches a stop, disposed perpendicular to the first and second side faces of the device is provided. The stop is connected to the first and second side faces. The plate comes to rest at the stop as it slides along the first and second steel rods.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/513,533 filed 31 Aug. 2006, entitled “A NAPKIN DISPENSER”,incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

This invention relates to an improved napkin dispenser, and moreparticularly, to a front loading gravity fed napkin dispenser.

2. Description of the Related Art

Dispensing machines for maintaining articles in a clean and orderlyarray have been developed for dispensing articles one at a time. Such adispenser is discussed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,172 toReynolds.

The Reynolds dispenser permits articles held in a vertical plane, suchas newspapers, magazines, and the like, to be viewed through atransparent front glass. The dispenser is designed to be theft-proof.

U.S. Pat. No. 1,874,642 to Shaffer et al. discusses a napkin dispenserhaving rectangular ribs extending along inner sidewalls, and a plateadapted with rectangular notches adapted to slide along the ribs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An improved napkin dispenser is set forth. The dispenser includes afront face having a substantially centrally located opening adapted tofit napkins pulled therethrough. A back face connecting two side facesto the front face is provided. At least one downwardly angled steel rodhaving a substantially circular cross-section is connected in to each ofthe two side faces. A plate having protruding members, either slots or anotches extending therefrom is also provided. The location of theprotruding members corresponds to the location of the steel rod. Theplate moves toward the front face by sliding the protruding membersalong the steel rod until a stop is reached.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of an improved napkin dispenserconstructed in accordance with the principles herein, wherein aperspective view, partially broken away, illustrates a plate of thedispenser fitted in slots provided therein.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment constructed inaccordance with the principles of the present invention, wherein bentsteel rods having substantially circular cross section are provided onan inside face therein, and wherein the floor is bent to provide a stop.

FIG. 3 illustrates a front angled perspective view of an embodiment ofan improved napkin dispenser constructed in accordance with theprinciples herein, wherein a stop is provided near a front face and asecond stop is provided near an open back face thereof.

FIG. 4 illustrates a view along lines IV-IV of FIG. 3, wherein a platehaving outward protrusions, or slots, is provided along a sidewall ofthe device.

FIG. 5 illustrates a front view of the plate of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 illustrates a side perspective view of a plate constructed withdownwardly angled notches therein.

FIG. 7 illustrates a side view of the plate of FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION

As illustrated in FIG. 1 an exemplary embodiment of an improved napkindispenser shown generally at 100 is constructed in accordance with theprinciples herein. The napkin dispenser is of a suitable size anddimension to accommodate the storage in an interior via an opening 110of multiple napkins. Typically, napkin sizes vary only small napkins,typically used in conjunction with drinks or cups, to large dinnernapkins, which are typically multilayered and pre-folded. The napkindispenser, or device 100 includes a front face 120 having thesubstantially centrally located opening 110 adapted to fit napkinspulled therethrough.

A back face 130 is provided. The back face 130 connects two side faces,such as side face 140 and an opposing side face 150, to the front face120. Slots 160 are provided, for example, on side face 140. The slots160 can be arranged, for example in a pair of substantially parallel,downwardly angled slots 160 formed in a parallel and opposingconfiguration in each of the two side faces, such as side face 140 andside face 150.

A plate 170 is provided. The plate 170 can be formed of any suitablematerial, such as sheet metal, metal plate, plastic, or any othersuitable material. The plate 170 includes a set of opposed outwardlyextending, protruding members 175A and 175B extending through openings180 in slots 160, for example. The plate 170 moves toward the front face120 by sliding the protruding members 175A and 175B in the substantiallyparallel slots 160.

In another embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, an improved napkindispenser, shown generally at 200 can include, for example, at least onesteel rod 210, having a substantially circular cross section, fixed toan interior wall 220 of the dispenser 200. In this embodiment, a bottom230 of the dispenser 200 can include an upwardly angled section 240 anda stop section 250 provided adjacent a front face 260 of the dispenser200.

As illustrated in an embodiment of FIG. 3, a dispenser shown generallyat 300 can include a front stop 310 and a back stop 320, such thatnapkins can be dispensed from both a front face 330 and a back face 340thereof. In this embodiment, an angled bottom 350 includes an upwardlyangled front section 360 and an upwardly angled back section 370, and atleast on steel (not shown) can be fixed to a sidewall of the dispenser.

A suitable plate, such as plate 410, illustrated in FIG. 4, can beprovided along a pair of bent steel rods 420 provided along an interiorsidewall of one embodiment of a dispenser 400 constructed in accordancewith the principles herein. A bottom floor shown generally at 430,includes a front stop 440 and a rear stop 450 formed parallel to a top460 of the dispenser 400. Rubber feet 470 can be attached to thedispenser 400 in a suitable manner, such as by welding or gluing, alonga lower side of the front stop 440 and the rear stop 450. The plate 410is adapted to slide downwardly along the rods 420 until the platereached either the front stop 440 or the rear stop 450. A suitable platecan include, for example, a plate having outward protrusions 510, suchas plate 500 of FIG. 5, or a plate having downwardly angled notches 610,as illustrated in the embodiment of a plate 600 adapted and constructedto slide along an interior of a dispenser, such as dispenser 300.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, a sideview of a plate shown generally at 700illustrates a suitable exemplary angle for the downwardly angled notches710 of a substantially circular cross section.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operationshown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of theinvention.

1. An improved napkin dispenser comprising: a front face having asubstantially centrally located opening adapted to fit napkins pulledtherethrough; a back face connecting two side faces to the front face;at least one steel rod having a substantially circular cross section,downwardly angled along an inside wall of a side of the dispenser; aplate, formed of a sheet of material having a substantially similar sizeand configuration as a conventional napkin, having protruding membersadapted to slide along the steel rod; and wherein the plate moves towardthe front face by sliding the protruding members in the substantiallyparallel slots and stops when it reaches a stop provided on a bottom ofthe dispenser, wherein the stop is substantially perpendicular to a sidewall of the dispenser.
 2. An improved napkin device as claimed in claim1, further comprising an upwardly sloped bottom connected to a rearstop.
 3. An improved napkin device as claimed in claim 2, further anopening provided in a back face of the dispenser for dispensing napkinstherefrom. An improved napkin device as claimed in claim 1, furthercomprising a hinge at a bottom of the front face.
 4. An improved napkindevice as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protruding members are furtherdefined by downwardly extending angled notches having a substantiallycircular cross section.
 5. An improved napkin device comprising: a frontface adapted for opening to load napkins therein; a first downwardlyangled steel rod fixed to a first side face, and a second downwardlyangled steel rod fixed to a second side face, each of the steel rodshaving a substantially circular cross section; a plate adapted to slidealong the first and second steel rods; and a stop, disposedperpendicular to the first and second side faces and connected thereto,for stopping the plate as it slides along the first and second steelrods.
 6. An improved napkin device as claimed in claim 6, furthercomprising: a sloped floor connected to a back stop of the device.
 7. Animproved napkin device as claimed in claim 6, further comprising: Thirdand fourth steel rods provided along the first and second side faces,repectively, and adapted to slide the plate thereon.
 8. An improvednapkin device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the third and fourth steelrods have a substantially circular cross-section.